Concern raised over MPs’ pay

FOR the first time an MP has come out publicly to inform not only his own people of Madang, but also the rest of PNG, on how much MPs get. MPs are elected leaders who are accountable to the people. Therefore, in exercising their accountability, they have a duty to inform their people on how much they are paid. Since Independence, no one MP has come out publicly to inform his people how much he or she gets. It reflects a lack of transparency on the part of the MPs. The base salary of K12, 000-plus pay an MP gets is obviously too much. Even Ministers getting K17,000 per fortnight is too much. The people of PNG have now been informed of what their elected leaders get. I wonder what impact this publicity on the MPs pay will create. Will hardworking public servants who do not have houses be happy about this? Will it make each public servant protest by not being committed to work? The worst thing is not to have their allowances taxed. Corruption in PNG will not end until the MPs begin to get what they really deserve.